Maserati Levante (MY17 Levante)

MY17 Levante

MASERATI'S first foray into the luxury SUV segment, the Levante, entered the ultra-competitive local marketplace in February 2017 with expectations of becoming the Italian brand's best-selling vehicle.

Australia made do with just one drivetrain option – whereas overseas markets had the choice of three, including petrols – with a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel six cylinder engine that produced 202kW and 600Nm and was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The Levante shared its platform with the Ghilbi large sedan and sported the longest wheelbase of any of its rivals at 3004mm, putting the SUV in a class of its own size-wise.

It was offered in three trim levels – including the range-topping Luxury and Sport variants – costing between $139,900 and $159,900 before on-roads at launch.

Maserati brought its entry-level price point to a new low when it released the base Levante petrol in November 2018. Despite doing the range-opening honours, this large SUV still packed a Ferrari-built 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 that pumped out 257kW/500Nm.